Opinions

An ode to Zacch

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6 months ago

THE acclamation that greeted Zacch when he turned 47 last week did not occur by happenstance. Zacch—Zacchaeus Adelabu Adedeji—was born at Iwo-Ate, a village near Ogbomosho in humble circumstances that would have precluded schooling but for the South West’s free education programme. Thus enabled, young Zacch performed brilliantly at primary and secondary levels. Going further, he read accounting at Ede Polytechnic, passing out with a distinction. He then gained admission to the Obafemi Awolowo University, earning a first class, which he followed up with a master’s and a doctorate in the same department. He ensured he became an ICAN-qualified accountant and is a member of several professional bodies.

Procter and Gamble, the well-known multinational firm was where his career was launched. His employers were quick to notice his high abilities and huge capacity for work and sent him abroad for further training, putting him afterwards in charge of their entire West African zone. While Zacch was at Procter and Gamble, Senator Abiola Ajimobi at a time when he was not yet Governor, passed through Procter and Gamble on routine business which Zacch handled. That brief encounter left Ajimobi awed byZacch’s brilliance and professionalism and he wasted no time in making Zacch his Commissioner for Finance on becoming Governor. Zacch was only 33 years old at the time and richly delivered: he settled all of the state’s debts, streamlined its account into a single treasury account and enabled a huge increase in IGR.

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power, he invited Zacch to become Special Adviser and Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, a testament to the confidence the President reposes in him. In stunningly short order, he has raised revenue by 144 percent, a humongous increase. Also, the billionaire entrepreneur Aliko Dangote, who has seen it all and is one not given to frivolities, highlighted Zacch’s impressive brilliance recently on Bloomberg television, hailing him as ‘smart’. Zacch is an enigma, a restless intelligence always smiling, often beatifically. He views matters in broad perspective, seeing the big picture, thinks richly in-depth, four or five moves ahead, always emerging with the advantage. His appearance and manner of speaking tend to induce people to underestimate Zacch. But really you do so at your own peril. He is as smart as they come.

I have known Zacch now for some fifteen years and attest to his brilliance, astuteness, single-mindedness, humaneness and generosity. He is a good man with a good heart, kind and empathetic. By no means petty, he is a cheerful giver, open-handed to friend and foe alike. Zacch is a family man, ever thankful to God for His hand on his life. Finally, Zacch is a friend in need, ever deferential to his elders, untiringly disposed to help. A man for all seasons, ever diligent, ever resilient, he will, Amen, live on in glory.